


Stranger Things

by thatwriterlady



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Has a Crush on Dean Winchester, Castiel is not what Dean expected, Dean Has a Crush on Castiel, Feelings, Flirting, Fluff, Homosexual characters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 08:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9314183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: Dean gets an email from his coworker and friend Gabe, and clicks on the video attached.  His crush on Gabe's brother Castiel is something he has kept quiet all these years, but the pedestal he put the man up might have been a tad too high.  The handsome librarian is definitely NOT as shy and reserved as he thought...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [4Jackles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/4Jackles/gifts).



> So here you all go, a brand new fic. I saw a video of a guy in a bee costume dancing and twerking on a train and immediately my mind went to Cas. So...I put my own spin on it. I am gifting it to my dear friend 4Jackles who is currently laid up in the hospital recovering from surgery. Please, keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She doesn't know I'm doing this, so...surprise, hon!

 

Dean scrolled through his emails, checking for responses to the one he’d sent out Friday.  Over the weekend he had gotten 10 responses.  This afternoon he had 2 new ones.  That meant he was still waiting on 13 more.  It frustrated him that the parents of his students weren’t responding faster.  All they had to do was open their stupid email, read the letter he had sent, respond with a yes or no, and hit send.  Was that really so hard?  The school had drastically cut down on paper usage by forcing the teachers to be in email communication with their students’ parents.  For the most part, it worked, but people were more inclined to get on social media sites nowadays than they were to actually check their emails.  It was frustrating.  He’d have to remind his kids to tell their parents to check.  That wasn’t necessarily easy when they were only 6 and 7 years old.  They usually forgot everything he said by the time they had dashed out the door at the end of the day.  Sometimes he felt like he was beating a dead horse. 

 

He refreshed his emails in hopes that maybe there were a few new ones, but no.  There was, however, an email from the principal reminding him about a fundraiser he had to attend the following Friday.  The _same one he was reminding the parents to contact him about_.  With a heavy sigh he exited out of the email but just as he was about to close his emails altogether, he noticed one from his friend Gabe.  Since the guy usually sent him funny stuff and was probably the only guy in the world that till preferred to send such stuff through email instead of social media, Dean humored him.  He opened the email and read the message.

 

_Deano!_

 

_I thought you would especially get a kick out of this.  Even more than the people on the train did Saturday night.  Text me after you watch it._

 

_Gabe~_

 

There was a link to a YouTube video at the bottom of the page.  Knowing Gabe, it was something ridiculous, like a dog riding a bike in a tutu, or cats meowing to Back in Black.  Something so silly it would just make him groan and roll his eyes, but still bring a smile to his face.  This though?  Was _not_ what he was expecting.

 

After making the video fullscreen, Dean pressed play.  It was filmed on the train, and the giggling and running commentary told him it was Gabe behind the camera.  That was unsurprising.  He found himself laughing at the drunk guy on the screen who was dressed (if that was even what you could call what he was wearing) as a bumblebee, in little more than a thong and a tiny set of yellow and black wings.  Perched on the man’s head was a pair of yellow antennae that were sitting askew atop a head of messy, dark-brown hair.  The man was swaying his hips back and forth, dancing rather sexily for clearly being plastered, if the bottle of vodka in his hand was any indication.  Dean admired the perfect ass on clear display since the guy was wearing just a simple thong, and the strong legs.  He raised an eyebrow at the platform heels the guy was wearing but hell, they made those amazing calves look even better.  Gabe’s laughter on the camera was bordering on giggles, and that was making him laugh even harder. 

 

There were some very interesting characters that rode the trains; he’d seen a few himself back in his teens and heard about even more of them from friends and family, but this guy really took the cake.  He went from swaying his hips to making some rather clumsy steps that Dean assumed were supposed to be dance moves.  He became aware of singing, so he turned the volume up on his computer.  Dear God, the guy was singing “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” and doing it completely off key.  That put Dean in stitches.  This was the funniest thing he’d seen in ages!  The guy’s deep, rumbling voice was in complete contradiction with the song he was singing.  When he started twerking (Dean only knew what twerking was thanks to his goddaughter Chrissy), that was it, Dean laughed so hard he couldn’t catch his breath and ended up falling right out of his seat.  It was hilarious.  He got up and slid back into his chair, wiping at the tears in his eyes.  The guy was back to gyrating his hips as he slowly began to turn towards the camera being aimed at him.  All laughter died on Dean’s lips as the realization of exactly _who_ he was looking at hit him.

 

This was Gabe’s brother, Castiel, or Cas, as Dean preferred to call him.  The super-hot, super serious librarian that he’d been drooling over for the better part of 3 years now, since he had taken on the teaching position at Hiawatha and began dealing with the library.  Once a week, since the elementary school didn’t have its own library, Dean would march his kids across the street, they would spend 30 minutes selecting books, another 15 checking the books out, and then they would march back across the street and start on their afternoon lessons.  As his kids worked on their vocabulary words and math problems, he would let his mind wander back to the handsome librarian with the messy hair, oversized sweaters and huge blue eyes.  Castiel was easily the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on, and incredibly nice too.  He smiled brightly at the kids and took obvious pleasure in speaking with each one as he checked them out, discussing the books they had chosen and telling them the ones he liked the best and when they returned the following week he would ask them how they liked the book.  He had a knack for making each of the children feel special and important.  That was something Dean appreciated. 

 

It wasn’t that Castiel wasn’t nice to him, too, it was just that he was much more professional with Dean. Polite smiles, very little conversation, minimal eye contact.  It was almost like he was afraid to look Dean in the eye.  Dean was desperate to know the man better but aside from flat out asking Gabe about him (which he was absolutely _loathe_ to do because the man was horrible about the teasing), he didn’t see how that was going to be possible.  He didn’t get any inkling to the man’s orientation, and he had no clue whether the man was interested in him.  It didn’t stop him from crushing on the handsome librarian. He’d been particularly careful to keep his little infatuation a secret, especially from Gabe.  Maybe he hadn’t been careful enough if the man was sending him this video.  Or maybe he just liked to prank his brother like Dean used to do to Sam when they were younger.  If so, this was a pretty cruel trick and he’d have to give his friend an earful later. 

 

He turned his attention back to the video.  This was a completely different side to Castiel, a side he didn’t think even existed.  He’d seen what the man read, as he’d caught him reading a few times when it was slow (So maybe he came in sometimes after work to take out books for himself, so what?), and the man was into some pretty deep stuff.  Freud, Nietzsche, topics and authors Dean had never heard of.  It made him feel like they weren’t even on the same level.  Somehow, over the last 3 years he had put Castiel up on a pedestal, and the man had remained high on his throne this entire time.

 

Until now. 

 

Dean had no idea what to make of this.  On screen Castiel was rubbing a nipple with his free hand while gyrating his hips, still singing that stupid song.  Suddenly he heard Gabe say something that definitely caught his attention.

 

_“Hey, Cassie!  If you could dance with anyone, who would it be?”_

 

Castiel turned in the direction of his brother’s voice, wobbling a little on his heels.  Jesus, that thong left almost nothing to the imagination.

 

_“What?”_

 

Gabe repeated the question.

 

_“I said, if you could dance with anyone, who would you want to dance with?”_

 

A huge smile, the kind Castiel always saved for the children, spread across his face.  It made Dean’s heart ache even worse with longing. 

 

_“Who would I dance with?”_

 

 _“Yes, Cassie.  What hot, sexy body would you want pressed up against your own?”_   Gabe asked.

 

Castiel’s free hand wandered down his body, over his groin and across one thigh before the train jerked and he grabbed onto the nearest pole.

 

_“Well, there’s this one guy.  Works at the school.  His name’s Dean.  I would want him to dance with me.”_

 

Ok, somehow Gabe had managed to get his super-hot brother to join in on one of his jokes.  This had to be some big, elaborate plan to humiliate him, because there was absolutely no way this was for real.  There was no possibility that Castiel freaking Novak liked _him_.  Vaguely, he was still aware the people in the video were still talking.  The train wasn’t empty.  A little kid was clearly shocked by the mostly naked man, and his mother was telling him not to look.  Gabe was still talking so Dean listened.

 

_“-dance?  Why haven’t you asked him out?”_

 

Castiel’s smile turned shy.

 

 _“He wouldn’t like a librarian.”_   The man slurred the word librarian so bad it sounded more like he was saying “libertarian.”  _“He’s so pretty though.  Isn’t he pretty, Gabby?”_

 

Gabe chuckled.

 

_“Yeah, sure, he’s good looking.  Not my type, but I know he’s yours.  You should ask him out.  You should have invited him to the party tonight.”_

 

Castiel’s eyes widened.

 

 _“No!  He’s too…perfect!  He helps all the little children!  I’m not like Lisa B-raeden.  She says Dean’s the most beautiful man she’s ever seen, and that she thinks he likes her too.  She wants to ask him out.”_ His lower lip jutted out in a pout, and he leaned heavily against the pole.  _“He’s straight.  I don’t have a chance, Gabby.”_

 

 _“Who told you he’s straight?  Are you SURE he likes Lisa Braeden?  Have you seen him flirting wqith your own two eyes?  Unless you are absolutely positive he likes her, don’t give up.  I happen to know she’s had a crush on him for ages, everyone knows that because she talks about it in the break room all the time, but as far as I have been able to determine, it’s completely one sided.  Dean doesn’t like her back.  All the teachers talk.  I hear he has a thing for dark hair and blue eyes,”_ Gabe said.

 

 _“Lisa doesn’t have a 5 o’clock shadow,”_   Castiel stated absently.  Gabe chuckled.

 

_“I’m going to take you home, and you’re going to sleep this off.  I doubt you’re even going to remember this tomorrow.”_

 

 _“I’m cold,”_ Castiel pouted.

 

 _“Gee, I wonder why,”_   Gabe snorted.

 

The video cut off there, and Dean was left with his heart racing and his head spinning.  Castiel liked him?  It wasn’t a joke like he’d first thought?  What exactly was he going to do about it though?  He closed out the video and then exited from his emails. The video was from 2 nights ago, at Halloween. So Castiel and Gabe had gone to a party together.  He wondered if it was the same party he’d been invited to by Charlie, the computer teacher and Benny, the gym teacher.  If he hadn’t already had a prior engagement, he’d have gone.  Now he was regretting not going.  To see Castiel dressed like that right up close would have been like a dream come true. 

 

After pulling his phone out, Dean shot off a text to Gabe.

 

 **Dean:**   What the hell was that!

 

He decided to peruse Facebook while he waited for his friend (and he was using the word loosely right now.  If Gabe was fucking with him as some sort of prank, he was going to _kill_ him.) to respond.  Someone had posted a recipe for carrot cake, and he was busy jotting it down when his phone vibrated.  He dropped the pen and grabbed the phone.

 

 **Gabe:**   I take it you got my email.

 

 **Dean:**   Are you fucking with me or is this just another one of your elaborate jokes?  Cause if you’re yanking my chain, we’re done.  I will never speak to you again.

 

 **Gabe:**   Hey, I invited you to that party.  You said you couldn’t go.  It was completely real.  My brother gets very talkative when he’s drunk.

 

 **Dean:** Yeah, I had a date that night and I felt guilty breaking it, otherwise I’d have totally been there.

 

 **Gabe:**   You didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone.  Forget I sent that to you.  I’m sorry, I thought you liked my brother still.

 

 **Dean:** I DO still like your brother!  It was a onetime thing.  I’m not actively dating anyone.  I was acting as my friend’s beard.

 

 **Gabe:**   Well, in that case, Castiel doesn’t remember me filming him.  He did a bunch of shots and then drank an entire bottle of vodka and blacked out.  I took him home, tucked him in, and slept the night on his couch to make sure he’d be ok the next morning.  He wasn’t.  Still has a nasty migraine.  Believe it or not, there was more to that costume.  Clothes just started coming off the more he drank.  You don’t know what you missed.  But I know what I WISH I had missed.  I’m scarred for life, Dean.  I’m going to have nightmares for years to come.

 

 **Dean:**   You’re a drama queen.  So he doesn’t remember that he said he likes me?

 

 **Gabe:** Oh, no, he remembers THAT. Mostly because I was sure to remind him. I told him to get his head out of his ass and tell you that he likes you, but he’s convinced that you’re too good for him.  It’s up to you to prove him wrong.

 

 **Dean:**   The kids have library Tuesday.  I’ll try to talk to him then.

 

 **Gabe:** You better.  I hate being the one in the middle of you 2 pining over one another.  Dork still doesn’t realize that you and I are even friends, and I’ve been using that to my advantage.  Running reconnaissance for you.  I should get paid for that, you know.

 

 **Dean:** I’ll bake you a pie.

 

 **Gabe:**   Darn right you will.  You’ll make me 2!  Anyway, my brother might be a stuffed shirt, but he’s a nice guy once he warms up.  A tip?  He loves Japanese food.  There’s a great Japanese restaurant on 38.  Ask him to go there.

 

 **Dean:**   Thanks, man.  I have to run, I have a stack of vocabulary tests to grade.  We’ll talk tomorrow at work, ok?

 

 **Gabe:**   You bet we will.  I have papers to grade too.  You know, I had a student that thought the Underground Railroad was an actual railroad?  I don’t know what they’re teaching these kids before they get to me.  I do my best to set them straight.  We’ll talk at lunch.  Toodles!

 

Dean tossed his phone aside and rubbed at his temples. He still wasn’t sure how to approach Castiel, or if he even should. He had until 1 p.m. Tuesday to figure it out. Until then he was going to have a mini freakout all by himself.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Tuesday, Dean walked his kids down to the cafeteria where Gabe already was with his 6th-graders.  The moment his friend spotted him he nodded and walked over.  Once the kids were seated they found a table near the other teachers and sat down with their own food.

 

“So.  Cassie still has a hangover,”  Gabe snorted.

 

“Geez, still?  Head or stomach?”  Dean asked.

 

“Stomach.  His head finally stopped hurting yesterday, but he has sharp pains in his stomach still,”  Gabe explained.  “It was the vodka.  I told him to stick to beer.”

 

“So, uh, must have been some party if he was dressed like that.”  Dean aimed for casual and missed it by a mile. Gabe’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

 

“I told him to stop being such a prude and dress sexy, but he was unsure what to wear.  We went out looking for costumes and came across the bee one.  He is crazy about bees and is saving up to buy some land so he can put hives on it.  You know, he’s in school studying animal sciences, but he has a minor in entomology.  He wants to be a vet.  He’s like, halfway there.  I lost track,”  Gabe explained between bites of a very messy turkey sandwich.  “But back to the costume, I told him to wear something sexy and I dragged him into an adult store-”

 

Dean choked on a bite of his roast beef sandwich and started coughing.

 

“You _what?!_ ”  he managed to rasp once his throat was clear.

 

Gabe just kept going.

 

“Yeah, he couldn’t find anything acceptable at Party City, and he really wanted to be a bee or some other insect.  We stopped in there and he saw the bee costume, which I swear consisted of black leather shorts and a tank top, and after a bit of hemming and hawing over how he thought it was too skimpy, I talked him into it.  Mostly because I paid for it,” he chuckled.

 

“I can’t believe he agreed to it.  It seems so out of character for him,”  Dean said.  Gabe grinned around another mouthful of meat and bread.

 

“And you think that because you don’t really know my little brother.  He’s a remarkable guy, and not one to back down from a challenge.  If I dared him to come and ask you out, he would.  But I didn’t want you resenting me for that.  He doesn’t even realize we’re friends. He honestly thinks I don’t know you.  I’ve let him continue thinking that so he’ll continue to tell me how much he likes you.  Good thing there are 2 teachers here named Dean.”

 

Dean finished his sandwich, thinking quietly as he listened to Gabe talking about a test he was giving his students after lunch.  He had a deep affection for pop quizzes.  When lunch was over he stood up to collect his kids.  Gabe stood up too.

 

“Hey, you should ask him out.  Seriously.  He’s not the God you seem to think he is.  He’s just an awkward little dork with an affinity for classic rock and bees.  I think you 2 would actually get along really well.”

 

Dean smiled weakly before heading to get his kids.  It was almost time to head to the library, and his stomach was in knots.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Dean focused on his kids as he led them into the library, making sure they stayed together and remained quiet.  They knew the rules and that they would no longer be allowed to come if they couldn’t behave.  Thankfully they all loved this time and the opportunity to get out of the school and expand their imaginations.  His aide Donna was a godsend.  She was bubbly and full of sunshine, but one firm look and the kids all fell into line.  That was something he was very grateful for.  Mostly she worked with his 3 autistic students and 2 with severe ADHD, but all the kids respected her as much as they did him. 

 

Castiel was sitting behind the counter just as Dean had expected when they walked in, checking out another class.  He realized after a moment that it was Lisa Braeden’s 4th-graders.  She spotted Dean and waved.  He nodded politely but didn’t give her any more attention than that.  She’d been flirting since he had started at the school, but he had zero interest in her.  He did everything he could to remain cool and professional with her, but she wasn’t taking the hint.  As he ushered his kids toward the children’s room, he felt a tap on his shoulder.  He turned around to see Lisa right there.

 

“Hi,” she greeted him.  He smiled politely.

 

“You heading out now?” 

 

“Yeah, the kids were a bit of a handful today.  I’m taking them back for a social studies test.  Chapter review.”  She was making small talk that he was not in the mood for, especially not when he could see Castiel trying not to be obvious as he watched them.

 

“Those are always fun,” he mused. “Look, I gotta go keep an eye on the rugrats. You have a good afternoon.”  He turned to leave but she touched his arm, giving him pause.  Turning back, he looked at her with one raised eyebrow.  Her body language and expression were flirty, and he knew exactly what she was about to do.

 

“I was wondering…”

 

“Wait.”  He held up a hand, interrupting her.  It wasn’t his intention to be rude but if she was asking him out, he was nipping this in the bud right now.  “You’re not about to ask me out, are you?”

 

Her smile faltered and she looked slightly embarrassed.

 

“Would it be so awful if I was?”

 

Dean shook his head and sighed.

 

“Lisa, I’m gay.  You’re not my type.  I am sorry.”

 

Her cheeks flushed in actual embarrassment, and she dropped her gaze.

 

“Oh, I…I didn’t know.”

 

“That’s because I don’t date co-workers or bring my private life into the workplace,” he explained.

 

“That…actually makes sense.  I, um, I’m going to take my kids back now.  You have a good afternoon.” 

 

“You too.”  He watched her walk back up to the counter where she moved the last of her kids into the checkout line.  She spoke to Castiel briefly, and whatever she said made his blue eyes widen and then he was looking over her shoulder to where Dean was standing, just inside the children’s room.  He couldn’t help wondering what she had said.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

“Mr. Winchester, I want a book about flowers, but I don’t know where to find one.”

 

Dreama Cagney stood in front of him, swaying back and forth as she stared up at him with puppy dog eyes that rivaled those of his brother Sam. 

 

“Ok, well, what kind of book about flowers did you want?” 

 

She tapped her lip for a moment before smiling wide.

 

“I want one that can tell me all of the flowers in my backyard.  My mommy doesn’t know all of them, and I want to know them so I can tell her.”

 

Dean thought for a moment.  He didn’t think there were any real botany books in this section and Dreama was one of his advanced students, already reading and comprehending on a 4th\- almost 5th-grade level.  If she wanted a book on flowers there had to be something in the gardening or science section she would be able to read and understand.

 

“Well, why don’t we go and ask Mr. Castiel if there is a book like that?”

 

She nodded eagerly and took his hand as he offered it.

 

“Hey, Donna?  Can you keep an eye on the kids for just a couple of minutes?  We’re going to get Dreama a book on flowers.”

 

She nodded and he walked up the counter with Dreama, getting in line behind an elderly lady who was carrying books on crocheting.  Castiel was just as polite with her as he was with everyone, talking sweetly with her about the blankets and sweaters she liked to make.  It didn’t take long before she was slipping her books into a handmade bag and wishing him a wonderful afternoon.  When he looked up and saw who was next in line, his eyes widened and a soft blush rose up his cheeks.  Dean thought it made him even more beautiful than usual.

 

“Hello, Mr. Winchester.  H-how can I help you?”

 

“Well, Dreama here is one smart girl, and she is looking for a book on flowers.  Something to help her identify local ones, and the ones her mother is growing in their backyard.”  Dean felt the butterflies stirring in his stomach as he tried to keep his cool.  Castiel looked particularly adorable in his sweater vest and tie.  Heck, the tie was backwards.  That just made the man even more endearing.  He smiled at Dreama.

 

“You are in luck, young lady.  If you and Mr. Winchester would follow me, I’ll show you exactly where the flower books are.”

 

Castiel stood up and came around the desk to stand in front of Dean and Dreama. 

 

“They’re this way.”  The smile on his lips was almost shy as he looked up at Dean.

 

“Lead the way,”  Dean said, smiling back.

 

Castiel didn’t lead them where Dean expected.  Instead of the gardening section, they went into the area meant for the middle school kids.  They followed him to a non-fiction section and then to natural sciences.

 

“We do have books over in gardening, and in the main science section, but we keep some books here for school reports and such.  I’m sure there is something here Dreama would like to read,” he explained as he pulled several books off the shelf, checking to see if they had what the little girl was looking for.  Satisfied that one contained what she wanted, he handed it over to Dean.  “Is this appropriate for her reading level?”

 

Dean flipped the book open and read a few quick paragraphs.  There were a few big words, but they were phonetically broken down and there were definitions at the bottom of the pages.  Dreama loved books like that.  He smiled at the librarian before passing the book down to Dreama, who took it eagerly.

 

“It’s exactly what she likes.  Thank you.  Dreama, what do you say to Mr. Castiel?”

 

“Thank you!” the little girl chirped.  She was already flipping through the book, reading the names of the various flowers.  “My mommy has this one!” 

 

Dean looked down to see her looking at daffodils. 

 

“Your mommy must have a beautiful garden,”  Castiel told her. 

 

“I like to plant the flowers with her,”  Dreama said proudly.  “There are purple ones and blue ones and…”

 

Dean chuckled as he steered the little girl back towards the rest of the class.  Castiel fell in step beside him. 

 

“I’m glad I could help her find a book she can use,” he said.

 

“It’s appreciated.  Dreama is always eager to learn, and she’s one of my advanced students.  I’m actually in discussions with her parents and the principal to see about moving her up to 3rd grade next school year.  She has so much potential, and I’m happy to encourage her thirst for knowledge.  Her reading level is somewhere around 5th grade, so this book should be perfect for her.”  Dreama was walking a few feet ahead of them, and Dean had dropped his voice so she wouldn’t hear.  Castiel smiled at him, and damn it if his heart didn’t beat faster.

 

“You’re the kind of teacher all children need, one that encourages their individual potential growth, rather than expecting all children to learn at the same pace.  The teachers I had growing up did not like it when I moved so much faster than my classmates.  Until I got to 5th grade and I had that one teacher that didn’t try to hold me back.  Instead, she encouraged me to spread my wings and soar as high as I could.  It resulted in a straight A record and me being put ahead into 7th grade the following year instead of 6th.  I too have a thirst for knowledge.  I went to college right out of high school and earned degrees in English and Library Sciences.  A few years back I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a vet, so I decided to go back to school.”  This was the most Castiel had willingly conversed with him, and he liked seeing the man open up like this. 

 

“I got my master’s in education, but I have a minor in English and in science.  I can teach any grade from kindergarten up to high school, but I particularly like having the ability to help mold small minds.  This is pretty much my dream job.”  Dean felt his cheeks heat up but seeing the way Castiel looked at him, almost in wonder, was worthwhile. 

 

“I knew you were a good man.  That just proves it.”  Castiel smiled wider.  They were back at the front of the library and as much as Dean wanted to just stand there and talk to him all day, he had to get back to his other kids.  Dreama had already hurried back and was showing her book off to Donna.

 

“Thanks, Cas, that means a lot.”  He took a step towards the children’s room.  “Maybe we can talk later?”

 

Castiel’s smile turned shy again.

 

“Yes, that…would be nice.”

 

Dean smiled wide and gave one last nod before heading back to his students.  He could feel eyes on him the entire walk back.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

“You and Castiel were getting pretty chummy there,”  Donna teased as Dean sat down at one of the tiny chairs next to her.  He rolled his eyes, but there was a smile playing at his lips. 

 

“Yeah, whatever.  He was telling me what he’s back in school for.  Veterinary medicine.”

 

Donna snickered as she helped one of the kids pronounce a word in a book about a superhero named George.  Once the little boy had run off, she turned back to Dean.

 

“He was watching you as you walked back here.  You know, every time we’re here, he watches you.”

 

Dean cocked an eyebrow.  Was she right?  He hadn’t noticed that.  Every time he looked at Castiel, the man seemed to be busy doing something.  How interesting to know the librarian was watching him. 

 

The rest of their time there was spent helping the kids pick out their books, and then they were walking up to the front to check out.  Castiel made eye contact with Dean and smiled before looking at the first child to step up to his counter.

 

“Well, what fabulous book did you pick out today?” he asked.  Dean smiled at his energy and enthusiasm, just as he always found himself doing where this man was concerned. 

 

Castiel always checked the children out himself, though there was usually at least one other person behind the counter that could help, but even by himself the entire process went very quickly and soon Dean and Donna were making the children line up to head back to the school.  As they headed out the door Dean took one last look back at Castiel, catching those beautiful blue eyes watching him.  Maybe the man remembered more than he’d let on about his drunken adventure on the train the other night.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The rest of the afternoon went quickly, and then it was time to see the munchkins off.  Without 2 dozen little chatterboxes babbling, the classroom was peacefully silent.  Dean took the time necessary to make sure the room was cleaned up.  After that, he sat down to go over the math homework he’d assigned at the end of the day.  A knock in the doorway a few minutes later drew his attention.  He looked up to see Gabe leaning against the open door frame.

 

“Hey,” he murmured.

 

“Hey yourself.  How was your trip to the library?”  Gabe teased as he walked in and crossed the room to sit on top of the radiator.  The kids’ chairs were too small for adults to sit in, even someone Gabe’s size.  Dean had teased him a few times that he should be able to sit in them, but only after Gabe had been teasing him first about something else.  That had been a couple of years ago.  He couldn’t remember what the conversation had even been about now if he were asked. 

 

“It was enlightening.  He talked to me more than he ever has before, but it was just normal conversation.”  Dean shrugged and continued marking papers.

 

“Well, he texted me after you left. Said Lisa Braeden told him you turned her down because you’re gay,” Gabe said. Dean set his red pen down and looked up. So that was what she’d said to give Castiel that shocked look earlier.

 

“I knew she said something to him.  I think it’s kind of rude though that I said that to her, and then she turned around and told him.  Makes me wonder who else she told,”  Dean grumbled.  He shook his head and went back to grading papers.

 

“Yeah, she mentioned it to me earlier, and I gave her an earful.  Told her gossip was rude and disrespectful.  She sort of shut up after that.  Jody in home economics was there and chewed her out, too.”  Gabe sounded ticked off by that, and it made Dean happy knowing someone thought it was as rude as he did.

 

“She finally did it.  She asked me out.  Well, almost asked me out.  I shut her down before she could.” 

 

“She’s been after you ever since you started here.  I told her more than once that you weren’t interested, without telling her your business, but I guess she took it to mean you had a girlfriend already.  Every now and then she’d put out feelers to see if you were involved with someone.  Only a few of us knew, but we weren’t telling her without your permission.  She’s just bitter cause she can’t get a piece of ‘dat ass’,”  Gabe laughed.

 

“Shhh!  We’re still on school property.”  Dean was laughing too, though. 

 

“Yeah, whatever, kids are all gone.”  Gabe waved him off.  His gaze drifted to the view beyond the window.  Dean’s classroom overlooked Westland Street and he could see the library from where he was sitting.

 

“Ho-ho-holy shit!”  He suddenly exclaimed.

 

“Dude!  Not on school property!”  Dean chastised.

 

“Don’t look now, but Cassie is walking over here, _right now_!”  Gabe pointed out the window, but from the angle of the blinds, Dean couldn’t see.  He jumped up and hurried over to the window just in time to see Castiel reaching this side of the street.

 

“What, is he coming to meet you or something?” he asked.

 

“He didn’t say he was,”  Gabe replied.  A few seconds later his phone buzzed and he pulled it out.  “He’s calling me now.”  He hit accept and put the phone to his ear.

 

“Yo, what’s up?”

 

_“Gabe?  Um, would you by chance happen to know what classroom is Dean Winchester’s?”_

 

Gabe had an ear to ear grin as he looked at Dean.

 

“Why yes, I do.  It’s room 114.”

 

 _“Oh, t-thank you.”_   Castiel paused for a second.  _“Aren’t you wondering why I wanted to know?”_

 

“Actually, no.  I saw you walking over here, and I’m sitting in Dean’s classroom right now.  He knows you’re coming, so no chickening out now, little brother.” 

 

There were stumbling footsteps outside the classroom and then Castiel was there, in the doorway, a look of shock on his face.

 

“You…you _know_ Dean?”

 

Gabe laughed as he disconnected the call.

 

“Yup.  Dean’s a very good friend of mine.  I thought you knew that.  I talk about him all the time.”

 

“I thought you meant Dean Phillips, the art teacher!”  Castiel looked like he might very well run.  Dean slapped Gabe on the arm.

 

“Stop picking on him.”

 

He turned to Castiel.  “Come on in, I was just grading some papers and Gabe here was keeping me company, but I’m sure he has papers of his own to grade.” 

 

Gabe could take a hint.  He stood up from his perch on the radiator.

 

“Actually, yeah, I have those tests I gave my kids after lunch to grade.” 

 

He started for the door.  When he reached his brother he stopped and patted his arm.

 

“It’s ok.  He likes you too.” 

 

With a wink and one last wave, he exited the room.  Castiel still hovered in the doorway, his phone clutched tight between his hands.  Slowly he stepped into the room.

 

“I had no idea you knew my brother.”

 

“I know all of the teachers here.  The school isn’t that big,”  Dean said as he moved over to his desk and leaned back against it.

 

“Oh, I suppose I should have taken that into consideration.”  Castiel took a few steps closer.  “I am on my lunch break, but I had hoped to catch you before you left for the day.  Your car was still in the parking lot, so I thought I might come and talk to you for a moment.”

 

“Yeah, I was just grading some math problems I gave the kids this afternoon.  You have no idea how much I despise this new math we have to teach them.  It’s awful.”  Dean was trying to ease the tension.  Castiel still looked like he might run right away.

 

“It is an awful thing, isn’t it?”  Castiel agreed.  He looked at the papers on Dean’s desk for a moment before meeting his eyes again.  “I know my brother sent you a video of me from this weekend.”

 

Dean’s heart leapt into his throat as his eye went wide.  No denying that now, his expression had clearly given him away.

 

“Uh…yeah, he did.”

 

“And I’m sure you watched it.  I believe my brother’s intentions were to humiliate me as I recently told his crush how much Gabe likes him, and Gabe was less than appreciative of that.  I sort of did it on the steps of the courthouse.  In front of the media.”  Castiel cringed, apparently regretting how badly he had embarrassed his brother.

 

“What were you doing at the courthouse, and why were you in front of the media?”  Dean asked, chuckling.  It sounded like Castiel and his brother had prank wars just like him and his own brother.

 

“I went to speak with his crush, but I didn’t have the man’s last name, so I was asking everyone there if they knew someone named Sam.  I was getting back at Gabe for turning all of my undergarments pink.  He snuck into my house and threw everything white that I owned into the washing machine with one red shirt.  Needless to say, I had to go out and purchase all new socks, underwear, and tee shirts.  I was less than amused.  He has pulled pranks on me like that since we were children.  Only in the last few years though have I reached a point where I was tired of always being the object of his pranks, and I decided to start giving him a taste of his own medicine.   It always seems to backfire on me though.”  Castiel sighed.  “That video, he thinks I don’t know he was filming, but I knew full well what he was doing.  You see,” he crossed the room until he was standing directly in front of Dean,  “I figured he knew who you were, even if I didn’t know that he knew you personally.  And I figured if he was determined enough, he’d find a way to send the video to you.”

 

Dean stood up, shocked by the man’s confession.

 

“You…knew he was going to send it, and you said that anyway?”

 

Castiel offered another shy smile.

 

“I had hopes that the way you looked at me, that you might be interested.  Today, Lisa Braeden told me you were…not interested in her.  That gave me the courage to finally speak up.  You see, I was in a relationship for a long time.  Four long years, and we broke up about a year ago.  I found you attractive from the moment you first began coming into the library, but I was still with my ex, so I didn’t allow myself to think much of it.  Our relationship started to go downhill, and then it sort of crashed and burned.  I wondered about you, and whether you might be interested, but the way Lisa kept talking about you, I thought you might be interested in her.”

 

“You and Lisa, you’re friends?”  Dean asked.

 

“Yes, for the most part.  We live next door to one another as well.”  Castiel stuffed his phone in his pocket and ran one hand through his already messy hair.  “I liked you, regardless of the fact that I thought you were straight, and her sudden admission surprised me, but it also gave me a bit of hope.  I took a chance when my brother videotaped me. I was sort of hoping it would get back to you, even though I thought you were straight.  I didn’t want to go to that party, but Charlie said you might show up, so I decided to go.  I wanted you to see that I’m not always a stuffy librarian.  I can have fun too.  Gabe suggested I wear something sexy, so I decided he was right.”

 

“What was up with that thong though?  Was that part of the costume?”  Dean blurted before his brain could tell him to shut up.  He really was curious though.  Castiel smiled wider, and he could see how flirty it was.

 

“No, it wasn’t.  I didn’t want lines under the shorts that did go with the costume.  Did you…um, was it something you liked?”

 

Holy shit, Dean’s wishes were all coming true right in that moment.  Castiel was not only interested in him, but he was actually _flirting_! 

 

“Oh yeah, I liked that _a lot_.  You had some pretty good dance moves for a drunk guy, too.”

 

Castiel laughed.  There was a blush that spread across his cheeks that made Dean’s heart begin to race.

 

“Yes, well, my dance moves are more coordinated when I am sober, though I don’t often have the opportunity to do so.”

 

“Except when you ride the train,”  Dean teased.  The other man laughed even harder.

 

“Yes, except when I ride the train.”

 

Dean liked this side of him.  Castiel was relaxed, happy, and flirty.  It made him want the man even more.

 

“Well, I liked your dancing, though the twerking was a bit much when there were kids on the train.”

 

Castiel blushed harder.  “Yes, that was the fault of the alcohol.  I’ve never done that before in my life.”

 

“It was hot, I’ll give it that,”  Dean grinned. 

 

“Well, as I was saying before, Gabe asked me who I would be dancing with, if I had the chance.  I was disappointed that you were not at the party, and you were on my mind all that night.  I knew he was taping me, and that it would probably get back to you.  I figured, if you were interested, it could be the way I told you that I liked you.  I am woefully awkward when it comes to liking people, and I often times can’t even approach someone to tell them, and he gave me the perfect opening.  So I said your name.  I figured he’d humiliate me and put it up on YouTube or something.”

 

“He did, but he put it on private.  Only people he sends the link to can watch it.  I’m hoping I’m the only one he sent it to,”  Dean said. 

 

“You probably are.  Today though, I was so happy when Lisa told me that.  I thought maybe the video was a good idea after all.  I went back and forth with my conscience all weekend.  Almost begged my brother to delete it.  He would have, too, had I asked.  But I didn’t.” 

 

Dean’s cheeks ached from smiling by that point, but he couldn’t stop.

 

“At first I thought he was pulling another of his pranks on me, because he pulls them on everyone here too, and that somehow he had wrangled you into helping him. I was upset, and hurt, but it didn’t last. By the end I knew it was real, and that you were sincere.  I was actually going to grade these papers and come back to the library near the end of your shift to ask you if I could take you out to dinner.  I’m glad you stopped over here first though.”

 

“My brother is awful,”  Castiel complained.

 

“Eh, he’s a big kid.  I think it’s why the kids love him so much,”  Dean said with a chuckle.

 

“True.”  Castiel took a few more steps closer, until he was right in front of Dean, almost close enough to-

 

“I would love to go out to dinner with you.  Were you thinking tonight?”

 

Dean snapped himself out of thoughts of kissing the man in front of him and nodded eagerly.

 

“Yeah, tonight, unless you had existing plans.”

 

“I don’t have any plans. I will admit, my stomach is still a bit off from all the alcohol I consumed at the party, but I would love to join you for dinner,” Castiel replied, perhaps a bit too eagerly. Dean loved the enthusiasm.

 

“Ok, well, you get off at 5, right?” 

 

Castiel nodded.  “Yes, and I leave at 5:30, after we close everything down and make sure we check in all of the books that were returned.”

 

“Ok then, I’ll pick you up at 5:30.  Sound good?”   Dean asked.  Castiel smiled wide.

 

“That sounds perfect.”  He reached past Dean to snag a post it and the red pen to jot down his number.  “Text me to let me know you’re in the parking lot.  I have to get back; I’m sure my lunch break is over, and Hannah is going to start texting me and nagging for me to hurry back.”

 

“Sounds good,”  Dean agreed.  Castiel stood up, smiling still.

 

“Well, I’ll see you in a couple of hours then.”

 

“You most definitely will.”  Dean winked, grinning at the beautiful blush that darkened the man’s cheeks again.  Castiel started for the door and was almost out it when something he’d said earlier suddenly dawned on him.

 

“You said your brother likes someone named Sam down at the courthouse?”

 

Castiel stopped and turned around to face him.

 

“I did, yes.”

 

Dean snorted and shook his head.  “Wouldn’t happen to be the assistant to the state’s attorney, would it?”

 

“I believe that yes, it is.  Why?”  Castiel asked.

 

“Because my brother Sam is the assistant to the DA.  Your brother has a crush on _my_ brother,”  Dean replied. 

 

“Oh.  Oh…,”  Castiel started laughing softly.  “I shall have to use that against him.”

 

“You go for it.  I’ll see you in a little while.”  Dean leaned back against his desk again.

 

“I will.  Goodbye, Dean.”  Castiel gave a small wave as he exited the classroom.  As soon as he was gone Dean whipped out his phone and shot a text off to his brother.

 

 **Dean:**   Hey bitch, I hear you have a tiny, blonde, not so secret admirer.  Goes by the name of Gabe.

 

Yes, he could mess with his own brother too.  It was going to be interesting to see what his brother’s reactions would be.  Sam didn’t know what he was in for…

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all got a kick out of this, and that the idea of Cas twerking on a train is as stuck in your heads as it is in mine! Lol. Kudos and comments are always welcome. Thanks for reading!


End file.
